We went to the movie
theater every Saturday afternoon. There were three movie theaters in
Belton and Mr. Adger Gray owned all of them. The Belton Theater was
originally an old Opera House. You’ll notice it’s in the
only three story building in town. The marquee used to hang out over
the sidewalk. Mr. Gray bought it in the late 1920s or early 1930s. Then,
during the war, there were three buildings where the bank parking lot
is now. One was a restaurant, one was the Virginia Theater and the other
was a Dodge dealership.

Right at the end
of the square they built the Joy Theater. That was about 1947 or 1948.
It was supposed to be state-of-the-art. There was a room for crying
babies. It had a wonderful snack room and was famous for the hot dogs.
Sometimes movie stars came to town to promote their films.

When I was twelve
or thirteen, Lash LaRue came to town. He rode his horse right down the
aisle of the theater. He did whip tricks. He would get someone to hold
a cigarette in their mouth and he’d cut it down with his whip.
Then, if you bought a picture of him for fifty cents, he would autograph
it. I didn’t have fifty cents so I tore a popcorn box and he signed
it. Gabby Hayes was here too. John Lund once came to promote a film.

On Monday and Tuesday
was one movie. Then, on Wednesday, was a different movie, usually a
“B” movie with short subjects. The movie changed again for
Thursday and Friday. Then on Saturday they always showed a western with
a cartoon and maybe The Three Stooges. That would show until about ten
o’clock.

“This drugstore
has been in my family since 1895. When I was in high school I worked
here behind the soda fountain. All my friends would come by when the
drugstore closed and we would go to the late show on Saturday night.
It started a little after ten o’clock and was usually a scary
movie and a serial. We had to be home by twelve.

My
uncle owned a wholesale grocery store just down the street. He also
sold Sylvania televisions. I remember after school one day in the fall
about 1949, I went into the back of his store and joined a bunch of
men sitting on wooden crates in front of a small television watching
the World Series.

Years before that
I remember my dad asking me to go to the bank up the street about three
blocks to get him some change. The World Series was on the radio. This
was long before people had air conditioning and as I walked up the street
I could hear the series from every store. I walked the three blocks
up and back and didn’t miss any of the game.